Sill, Dumoulin, Hartzell and more 2/27

February 27th, 2014

Some notes from today’s WBS Penguins practice, some of which touch on topics discussed in the comments lately:

– Brian Dumoulin (lower body) and Zach Sill (upper body) are ramping up hockey activities and are getting closer to returning to the lineup. Coach John Hynes said Dumoulin is more or less day-to-day at this point. He said Sill isn’t that close, but he has resumed skating.

– Hynes said the option of sending rookie goalie Eric Hartzell to Wheeling has been discussed.

“As a group, the coaching staff and management, we’re still trying to figure out along with Eric what’s the best thing to get him in order.”

– Hynes also said calling up Peter Mannino, who is 3-3 with a .926 save percentage after deciding to the report to the Nailers in late January, is an option.

“It could be. One of the reasons why he was here was to be in situations like this. There are a lot of things in play.”

– I don’t know what the right answer is for Hartzell. I’m no goalie coach or sports psychologist, so this could be way off the mark, but it looks to me like there’s a little bit of hesitation in his game right now, like he’s thinking instead of playing. I know the Penguins can’t just keep trotting him out there if his game isn’t getting back on track. Would he be better served by working it out in practice or in games in Wheeling? I really don’t know. Every goalie is different. He was outstanding in January. The talent is there. Maybe call up Mannino to share time with JDD during this five-game road trip, let Hartzell work in practice, then reassess from there?

– I asked Hynes about the playing time young prospects Anton Zlobin, Tom Kuhnhackl and Harrison Ruopp have been getting. Zlobin has been scratched for 4 straight games, Kuhnhackl for 3 of the last 6 and Ruopp for 5 in a row.

“Anyone in that locker room has contributed to the team and is a real good player. Right now, it’s trying to find the mixes and the matches. We’ve got to win some games here. It’s about, on any given night, trying to put together the lineup that, at this point, gives us the best chance to remain strongly competitive in the playoff race.”

– Also check out my Friday Morning Faceoff notebook tomorrow online and in the paper for some thoughts from PL3 on playing in Atlantic City. Also tomorrow, be on the lookout for the latest Penguins Pit Podcast, which includes an entertaining chat I had with former Penguins defenseman Ryan Lannon.

A winner of first-place honors in the blogging category of the 2012 Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors awards, Penguins Insider was created to give local hockey fans an interactive, in-depth way to follow the team they so passionately support. The blog's author, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie, has been covering the team since its inception in 1999. Contact him at jbombulie@aol.com

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